November 6 2019 was a special day – it’s when I got to meet Francis Kurkdjian for a tête-à-tête. The Paris-based perfumer was on a break in Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, but generously agreed to a morning of interviews when he was contacted by Skins Cosmetics. Maison Francis Kurkdjian is the best-selling brand at the niche retailer, especially his ouds, Baccarat Rouge 540 and Grand Soir.
When we arrive at the venue, Francis Kurkdjian is comfortably dressed in a white shirt, jeans and sneakers. There’s an opportunity to chat before the official interviews about how much he’s enjoying his holiday in the country. We’re all put at ease, as he’s approachable and authentic.
But before we get to the actual interview, five quick facts about Francis Kurkdjian. They will give you an idea why he’s one of the most successful creators in modern perfumery.
- He trained at ISIPCA, the renowned perfume school in Versailles.
- He made a spectacular debut with Jean Paul Gaultier Le Mâle in 1995 at the age of 26.
- This blockbuster was followed by numerous other high-profile scents. Some of these include: Elizabeth Arden Green Tea EDT (1999), Lancôme Miracle Homme EDT (2001), Guerlain Rose Barbare EDP (2005), Narciso Rodriguez For Him EDT (2007), Dior Homme Cologne (2007), Elie Saab Le Parfum EDP (2011), Carven Pour Homme EDT (2014) and Mr Burberry EDT (2016).
- Maison Francis Kurkdjian was launched in 2009 and a majority stake was sold to the French luxury giant LVMH in 2017.
- He has been awarded the Prix François Coty and named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
When it’s my turn to interview Francis Kurkdjian, he invites me to join him on the sofa. The conversation is wide ranging and goes on far longer than our allocated 20 minutes. I’m so excited to be talking to him that I forget to take any pictures of my own with him. So big thanks to Kim Currin, the photographer who was hired to take pictures for the special occasion.
What fragrance are you wearing today?
I’m not wearing anything. I wear what I am working on, but I’m not working on anything right now. I’m taking a creative break. I’m done with 2021 and then I’ll start working on 2022.
Do you work that far ahead?
Yes, always.
Do you love planning?
I love planning [laughs]. And even not doing anything is planned.
Are you a bit of a control freak?
[Slight hesitation] Yes, but in a nice way, meaning I like to plan certain things. But I am not going to freak out if something doesn’t happen the way I wanted it. I’ve learned things can be out of my control. And usually if you want to achieve great things, you can’t be a control freak. You need to delegate and accept it will be done the best way possible.
“If you want to achieve great things, you can’t be a control freak.”
Can you tell what fragrance I am wearing today?
Smoke [he smiles] and something else on the side, but I’m not sure what it is. [I’m wearing Maison Francis Kurkdjian Gentle Fluidity Silver, which was launched in 2019 as part of a fragrance duo.]
Are you sensitive to smoke?
I used to be a smoker myself. I’m sensitive to everything. It’s not just about smoke. It’s just more intense.
I gave up about three months ago. I was tired of smoking and decided not to be dependent. It’s like freeing yourself. Once in a while I smoke, because I don’t want to freak out. I’m here for a birthday party and smoked a little more than I should have done. But tomorrow I will be back in Paris and will not be smoking.
When did you love of perfumery start? I read in your bio that you were thinking of becoming a ballet dancer.
That was my dream. It’s still my dream job. I’m too old now.
It’s one of your passions?
It’s not a crazy passion the way people sometimes speak about doing something for passion. I hate fanaticism. It’s very scary. No matter what its objective, it’s too much. I hate fanaticism in perfumes. Sometimes you have fans in perfumes. Perfume is important, but not to a point where you have to become a fanatic.
I was a teenager in the 80s when I started to become fascinated with perfumes. Not only the scent itself. I was hooked on the whole thing – the name, the bottle, the story, the ad. The 80s were a great era for perfume. When I show my team my references, I usually I go back to that era.
What I lOVE about the 80s is that perfumes were unapologetic and big.
Yes, for a scent to be successful, it needs to be big. I remember Fahrenheit, Kouros, Giorgio, Poison…
Your big international debut was with Jean Paul Gaultier Le Mâle and it made your name. Did you feel any pressure to repeat its success?
Yes, it was my first perfume. [Long pause.] To be honest, yes. I tried to pretend not to [laughs], because I don’t like to complain. That was 25 years ago and no matter what I did afterwards, people take you back to that.
I don’t look backwards. I don’t put my prizes on my chimney. I have a very good memory, but I learned to look forward, because first of all you can’t change the past and what good does it do to complain about the past.
But for sure, it brought something different to the perfume industry. Every time I create a scent I try to bring something new. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you don’t. It also depends on the brand you work for.
Congratulations on Maison Francis Kurkdjian celebrating its 10th year in business this year.
Merci. Thank you. I have a great business partner [Marc Chaya] who really knows how to take care of the brand.
There’s no doubting your creative flair. Would you call yourself a good businessman?
No [laughs]. I’m a good businessman from far away. I felt it was the right time for me to launch my brand, but it’s more about creative slash business. I’m not a good businessman for running a company. My business partner gives me advice and shares his creative vision with me. By far, the company has been successful thanks to him. I create scents, but he gives them resonance with the team in Paris. We now have 60 people in Paris. Every two years, we double the size of the company.
PERFUME PARTNERS: Marc Chaya with Francis Kurkdjian.
That’s a lot of people to worry about.
No, I don’t worry any more. When we sold the majority stake to LVMH, I felt freer, which is interesting. I did not expect to feel that way. If something happens to me, the company belongs to a corporation that is capable of pursuing what I started.
“When we sold the majority stake to LVMH, I felt freer, which is interesting. I did not expect to feel that way.”
You’re admired by many people for your oud fragrances, although you actually create many other types of fragrances, too. Why do you like to work with oud?
It was basically an alternative to me of using the animalic notes that I love, which are more and more forbidden in perfumery. I then asked myself: Should I use oud the way they do in the Middle East, or should I do it the way I think I should do it? Oud comes from India and it’s very popular in the Middle East, but I should use oud the way I use patchouli from Malaysia in European perfume.
You juggle your maison with your work for other brands such as Elie Saab, Burberry and Kenzo? How do you approach them?
I am doing less recently. It’s a different mindset. The best comparison I can give you is if you’re an actor and you perform in a movie with a director on a set that’s not yours. When I work for someone else, first of all you need to read a script, which is a brief, and you search for what can resonate with a part of you. You’re given most of the work. I mean you’re given the material, the landscape is designed for you.
Whereas for my brand, I am the source of the inspiration, and then with my team I build around it. But it’s very egocentric. I’ve always been scared of that egocentricism, because [laughs] I see the damage it brings to the creative community. I got scared when I started working for some other people and I saw the egomania and craziness. You don’t really want to become one of those monsters.
Which perfume do you want to be remembered most for?
Not yet. I hope I have a few more years. I give myself 10 years. I was shocked when I saw Nureyev dancing in one of his last performances and felt sad, even though I had much respect for what he’d achieved. It’s like a singer and they keep on singing their old standards. There’s something sad and heavy and heart-breaking about that. I don’t want to be a perfumer without something to say.
“It’s like a singer and they keep on singing their old standards. There’s something sad and heavy and heart-breaking about that.”
I think I have found for me the definition of getting old. It’s when you think it was better before, when you start saying it was better yesterday. When you start thinking about yesterday, basically you are thinking the future is not for you. I want to make sure I’m not going to be indulging in that kind of nostalgia.
How do you keep inspired?
It’s simple, but it needs work. You have to stay connected with your era. I know I’m part of the five percent of the global population who’s very lucky. I can walk in the street and I’m not famous. I can go to the supermarket and chat with the cashier about life. I have that freedom of interaction. Some people don’t have that, because they are too famous.
I also try not to post too many things on Instagram about what I have and what I do. Once in a while I do it. I did it yesterday, because I thought it was important to do it. Otherwise I am not in that cult. I think perfume is not appropriate to become a cult. It’s invisible.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrances are available at Skins Cosmetics.
